EPA acts to reduce the risk of chlorpyrifos and protect children's health
The EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) has revoked all “tolerances” for chlorpyrifos, which set the quantity of a pesticide that can be present on food, in a final regulation. Furthermore, under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, the agency will issue a Notice of Intent to Terminate to cancel registered food uses of chlorpyrifos connected with the revoked tolerances. Organophosphate pesticides are employed in a wide range of agricultural applications, including soybeans, fruit and nut trees, broccoli, cauliflower, and other row crops, as well as non-food applications. It has been discovered to block an enzyme that causes neurotoxicity, and it has also been linked to possible neurological consequences in children.
“Today EPA is taking an overdue step to protect public health. Ending the use of chlorpyrifos on food will help to ensure children, farmworkers, and all people are protected from the potentially dangerous consequences of this pesticide. After the delays and denials of the prior administration, EPA will follow the science and put health and safety first,” stated Administrator Michael S. Regan.
The EPA has found that the present aggregate exposures from chlorpyrifos usage do not satisfy the legally necessary safety criterion that there is a reasonable assurance that such exposures would not cause harm. Several other nations, including the European Union and Canada, as well as states such as California, Hawaii, New York, Maryland, and Oregon, have taken similar steps to limit the use of this pesticide on food.
Chlorpyrifos usage has been declining due to state-level limitations and decreasing output. The EPA is dedicated to researching chlorpyrifos replacements and alternatives.
Sources:
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-08-30/pdf/2021-18091.pdf
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